They have been born and bred in Russia. However they’re representing one other nation at Paris 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 triggered a swarm of political and financial fallouts. One among them was Russia getting banned from the Paris Olympics. Nevertheless, the Worldwide Olympic Committee invited 36 Russian sportspersons to take part within the 2024 international video games.
Amongst them, 15 accepted the proposal. These athletes at the moment are being described as AINs (Athlete Individuel Neutre, in French), which implies Particular person Impartial Athlete. In practical phrases, they are going to be competing within the Olympics however is not going to show their nationwide flag. Additionally, the nationwide anthem will not be performed in the event that they win gold.
However aside from this bunch of 15 choose invitees, there may be one other class of Russian sportspersons collaborating within the Paris Video games that formally started on Friday. These Russian athletes have determined to characterize one other nation even at the price of being castigated by many at residence, particularly these in energy.
“Russia’s sports activities ministry stated final August that 67 athletes have modified nationality for the reason that begin of 2022. However some unbiased observers recommend that it’s an understatement, placing the true quantity as excessive as 200, together with some in non-Olympic sports activities like chess,” Wall Road Journal (WSJ) reported. A few of them, described by WSJ as “the key Russians” will likely be within the race for a medal in Paris.
Listed below are temporary profiles of 4 such Russian athletes who’re competing beneath one other nationwide flag:
Sardana Trofimova: Marathoner | Kyrgyzstan
The 36-year-old was born in Yakutz, a frosty however quickly increasing metropolis in japanese Russia. She gained the Moscow Marathon in 2017 and in 2018. Trofimova grew to become a citizen of Kyrgyzstan in 2023 and gained an Asian Video games bronze the identical yr. “Thanks, Kyrgyzstan, for the second lifetime of my sports activities profession,” she posted on social media. As a part of her Olympic preparation, Trofimova skilled in Bosteri, a panoramic village in north-east Kyrgyzstan.
Georgii Okorokov: Wrestler | Australia
The 28-year-old freestyle wrestler competes within the 65kg class. “There may be nothing in my thoughts besides an Olympic medal,” he informed Australian information company, AAP. Okorokov comes from the area of Yakutia in icy japanese Russia. As a teenager, he would journey removed from his village to point out up at his wrestling membership. His early successes got here as a Russian wrestler. However in 2017, he moved to Australia, the place his potential was recognized and he was made part of the high-performance squad while helping in upskilling native Australian wrestling expertise. Competing for Australia from 2022, he’s at the moment ranked twenty seventh on the planet.
Igor Myalin: Diver | Uzbekistan
The 28-year-old Russian has been competing for Uzbekistan with success. “I miss my homeland, however I subordinate it to my sporting aim,” he as soon as stated in an interview.
Anastasiia Kirpichnikova: Swimmer | France
The triple European champion will likely be representing France. She has been dwelling there for 5 years and trains in Martigues, a commune northwest of Marseille. Now 24, Kirpichnikova had earlier additionally participated within the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Video games representing Russia sans flag. She completed seventh within the 1,500m last and eighth within the 800m last. She holds the Russian information within the 800m and 1,500m freestyle.
Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 triggered a swarm of political and financial fallouts. One among them was Russia getting banned from the Paris Olympics. Nevertheless, the Worldwide Olympic Committee invited 36 Russian sportspersons to take part within the 2024 international video games.
Amongst them, 15 accepted the proposal. These athletes at the moment are being described as AINs (Athlete Individuel Neutre, in French), which implies Particular person Impartial Athlete. In practical phrases, they are going to be competing within the Olympics however is not going to show their nationwide flag. Additionally, the nationwide anthem will not be performed in the event that they win gold.
However aside from this bunch of 15 choose invitees, there may be one other class of Russian sportspersons collaborating within the Paris Video games that formally started on Friday. These Russian athletes have determined to characterize one other nation even at the price of being castigated by many at residence, particularly these in energy.
“Russia’s sports activities ministry stated final August that 67 athletes have modified nationality for the reason that begin of 2022. However some unbiased observers recommend that it’s an understatement, placing the true quantity as excessive as 200, together with some in non-Olympic sports activities like chess,” Wall Road Journal (WSJ) reported. A few of them, described by WSJ as “the key Russians” will likely be within the race for a medal in Paris.
Listed below are temporary profiles of 4 such Russian athletes who’re competing beneath one other nationwide flag:
Sardana Trofimova: Marathoner | Kyrgyzstan
The 36-year-old was born in Yakutz, a frosty however quickly increasing metropolis in japanese Russia. She gained the Moscow Marathon in 2017 and in 2018. Trofimova grew to become a citizen of Kyrgyzstan in 2023 and gained an Asian Video games bronze the identical yr. “Thanks, Kyrgyzstan, for the second lifetime of my sports activities profession,” she posted on social media. As a part of her Olympic preparation, Trofimova skilled in Bosteri, a panoramic village in north-east Kyrgyzstan.
Georgii Okorokov: Wrestler | Australia
The 28-year-old freestyle wrestler competes within the 65kg class. “There may be nothing in my thoughts besides an Olympic medal,” he informed Australian information company, AAP. Okorokov comes from the area of Yakutia in icy japanese Russia. As a teenager, he would journey removed from his village to point out up at his wrestling membership. His early successes got here as a Russian wrestler. However in 2017, he moved to Australia, the place his potential was recognized and he was made part of the high-performance squad while helping in upskilling native Australian wrestling expertise. Competing for Australia from 2022, he’s at the moment ranked twenty seventh on the planet.
Igor Myalin: Diver | Uzbekistan
The 28-year-old Russian has been competing for Uzbekistan with success. “I miss my homeland, however I subordinate it to my sporting aim,” he as soon as stated in an interview.
Anastasiia Kirpichnikova: Swimmer | France
The triple European champion will likely be representing France. She has been dwelling there for 5 years and trains in Martigues, a commune northwest of Marseille. Now 24, Kirpichnikova had earlier additionally participated within the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Video games representing Russia sans flag. She completed seventh within the 1,500m last and eighth within the 800m last. She holds the Russian information within the 800m and 1,500m freestyle.
